New Hawick RFC head coach Graham Hogg insists he has not spoken to brother Stuart about a return to his hometown club.
The elder of the Hogg brothers was confirmed as the Greens’ new permanent head coach after filling in temporarily at the end of last season.
He stepped in when Matty Douglas stood down after being told his contract would not be renewed for the 2024/25 season.
But Hogg, 36, said he has not discussed a return to Mansfield Park with his brother, the former Scotland captain, who is rumoured to be considering a return to the professional game a year after retiring.
READ MORE: Former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg linked with rugby return
The ex-Scotland captain had previously suggested his time in the elite game was over, but he could make a comeback playing for his hometown club, where his rugby journey began.
His older brother addressed that speculation when he spoke to Scotland Rugby News on Friday afternoon.
He said: “As soon as I was unveiled as interim head coach at the end of last season, there was a lot of press and a lot of people with an opinion saying it was a no brainer that he [Stuart] was coming back in.
“We’ve genuinely never had that conversation in terms of coming back and playing for Hawick.
“He’s a Hawick boy, he loves the club and the environment, and he’d probably be willing to help as much as he could, but it’s never been a conversation.”
While the Greens’ new boss is relatively inexperienced, he will be able to tap into two former internationals in his coaching staff.
READ MORE: Former Scotland duo join new Hawick RFC coaching team
Hawick have recruited former Scotland lock Scott MacLeod as forwards coach, while Allan Jacobsen is the club’s new scrum coach.
Hogg added: “I’m obviously delighted to be announced as the new head coach, but I’m probably even more delighted to be working with the group of coaches and players that we have.
“The club have done really well to get the coaches in that they have.”
Hogg, who worked with MacLeod during his time as interim head coach, explained why Edinburgh’s record appearance holder Jacobsen, nicknamed Chunk, was the right fit for the club.
“Chunk and Scott are pretty close. They played together for Edinburgh and with Scotland, and I know they’re in contact a fair bit.
“We have a really experienced front-row, but underneath that we have a lot of young props coming through and we just felt Chunk was the perfect fit.
“He was keen to get back involved in the club game – he's got a wealth of experience.
“I remember being an apprentice at Edinburgh when he was there, and he’s the type of individual you want to learn from.”
Hogg also described MacLeod, who spent time last season in the Newcastle Falcons backroom staff, as “one of the most sought-after lineout specialists in Europe”.
He added: “There are a lot of clubs in the professional game that would love his services. We’re fortunate that he’s committed and wants to be involved with us.”
Hawick narrowly missed out on a historic ‘double double’ when they lost the Premiership final to Currie Chieftains at Mansfield Park in May having lifted the trophy and the Scottish Cup last season.
Hogg is targeting reclaiming the league title in his first full season in charge.
“When you pull on a Hawick jersey, it’s no different to what it was 100-odd years ago. You want to do your best for the town and the club.
"The Premiership is about getting results - we’ve done well at that over the past few years and we want to continue that.”
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